Golf-ball.



Patefited lune 98, 390i. 8. D. KNIGHT &. W. A. PEEK.

fin. 676,506.

GOLF BALL.

(Application filed June 28, 1899.)

(No Model.)

1w r/vzssas,

UNITED STATES PATENT Farce.

RICHARD D. KNIGHT AND \VALTER A. PECK, OF PROVIDENCE, RIIODE ISLAND.

GOLF-BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,506, dated June 18, 1901.

Application filed June 28, 1899.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, RICHARD D. KNIGHT and IVALTER A. PECK, of the city and county of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Golf-Balls; and we do hereby declare the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

In making astroke in the game of golf it is essential that the eye of the player shall be centered upon the back of the ball, as this is the point at which the face of the club must strike the ball if the ball is to fly properly. It is also essential that the club should be swung through in the direction in which the ball is to fiy. \Vith the ordinary golf-ball, which is either white or red, there is nothing at the back of the ball to catch and hold the eye, so that the eye naturally fixes itself upon the center of the ball, with the result that the player is liable to swing the club too high, and thus top the ball. Moreover, there is nothing to indicate to the eye the line on which the club should be swung, and the player must fix in his mind the general direction in which he wishes the ball to fly, and then in making his stroke swing the club in this direction while keeping his eye fixed upon the ball.

One object of the present invention is to provide a ball with spots or marks which will indicate to the eye of the player the point at which the club should strike the ball and upon which the eye may be centered in making a stroke.

A further object is to also provide points or lines on the ball which will indicate the direction in which the ball should fly, so that this direction may be indicated to the eye while it is resting upon the ball.

These objects are accomplished by providing the ball with spots and points of contrasting color, and these spots and points are preferably produced by intersecting lines lying on great circles of the ball. These lines may be arranged in various ways and the number of lines varied without departing from the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows agolf-ball embodying the invention in which two inter- Serial No. 722,131. (No model.)

sectingv stripes are used to produce the spots and points. Figs. 2 and 3 are two views of a ball in which three stripes are used. Figs. at and 5 are two views of a ball in which four stripes are used, and Figs. 6 and 7 show a diderent modification to be more fully described.

Referring to Fig. 1, the ball 1 is provided with two stripes 2 and 3,which extend around the ball at right angles to each other and are on great circles. Supposing the ball to be white, then these lines may be of any contrasting color, but are preferably red. In playing this ball from the tee, the ball may be so placed that the white at the intersections of the lines 2 and 3--say at 4-is just visible at the back of the ball. Then there will appear to the eye of the player to be a V-shaped white spot at the back of the ball, which spot is surrounded by red, and on this spot the eye maybe centered. The ball may be so placed that the point of the V and also the point at 5 is in line with the intended flight of the ball, and thus the direction in wlfich the club should swing will be indicated to the eye by these points. After the ball has been played from the tee the position of the ball is no longer under the control of the player, and the ball may lie in any position and must be played as it lies. It will be found in practice, however, that in many cases, if not in most cases, the lie of the ball will be such that a spot of contrasting color, either a white spot with surrounding red or a red spot upon a substantially white field, will be presented to the eye at the back of the ball and that there is a point or line upon the ball which will indicate the direction in which it should be played.

The ball shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is provided with an additional stripe 0, which is at right angles to both the lines 2 and 3 and is also on a great circle. \Vith the ball thus marked the number of possible lies in which there will not be a contrasting spot at the back of the ballandadirection-indicatingline or point are reduced.

The ball shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is provided with four stripes located on great circles and making angles of sixty and thirty degrees with each other. This striping of the ball divides the surface up into six rectangles 7 and eight triangles 8, and it is practically impossible for a ball thus marked to lie in such a position that there will not be a contrasting spot at the back of the ball and a point or line indicating the direction of flight.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the stripes are arranged as in Figs. 2 and 3; but said stripes are interrupted at intervals. In addition to the stripes the ball is provided with small triangles 9, located in the spaces between the stripes.

In case the ground color of the ball is red, then it is preferred to provide the ball with white stripes or lines. A further advantage of balls marked as above indicated is that the contrasting red and white is more likely to arrest the eye, and thus aids in finding the ball after it has been played. The marking also enables a player to readily distinguish his ball whether it is lying on snow or on the ground and enables him to use the same ball 26 at all times of the year.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A golf-ball provided with intersecting lines or stripes of a contrasting color whereby 25' a spot may appear at the back of the ball for indicating the point of contact for the club, substantially as described.

2. A golf-ball provided Withintersecting lines or stripes of a contrasting color, said 30 lines or stripes being located on great circles, substantially as described.

RICHARD D. KNIGHT. \VALTER A. PECK.

Witnesses:

R. A. BATES, IRA L. FISH. 

